WTF (Where They’re From)

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All great superheros have origin stories, those profound life experiences that compel them to fight for a cause. Join us for a breakfast conversation with three remarkable Aspen New Voices Fellows who have turned their life experiences into power to address some of the world’s most difficult social issues. Metsehate Ayenekulu, the daughter of a child bride who narrowly escaped a similar fate herself, now teaches young couples in Ethiopia about family planning. Shadia Elshiwy watched her young cousin endure the pain of female genital mutilation, and now works to end the practice across North Africa. Mohamed Bailor Barrie grew up in rural Sierra Leone and became one of the first to graduate from the country’s medical school. He uses that knowledge to treat civilian amputee victims of Sierra Leone’s civil war. Through their lived experiences they show us how to drive change in our own communities with dignity and respect.